Flying the coop

 That's what they are doing...one by one.  Once they were five and now they are three.  Jordan and Kenzie left for the University on Friday.  Needless to say, it was a difficult morning sending them off.  It wasn't as hard this time.  Mainly because they left together and because they both have people they know down there.  Also, let's just say it, they are not going to the Phillipines thank goodness!  That being said I will miss them both and I will especially miss my companion, Kenzie.  She's been by my side for as long as I can remember.

What exciting happened the last few week?  Our cat had kittens.  Kenzie and Riley actually got to watch the kittens being born so that was pretty cool  They are starting to get really cute now that they are two weeks old.

We keep them in a cage for now so they don't get eaten by our neighborhood fox, mountain lion, racoon or skunk.

We also got a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Belt but I didn't get a picture with them here.  I think Kenzie has one but she didn't send it to me.

The Sunday after Grandma and Grandpa left, Brad took me on an "easy" hike.  And while yes, it was easier than say the last hike we did where we climbed up 4000 feet, he neglected to tell me it was a 12 mile hike.  And so, it was a little more than I expected.  That being said, the view was amazing of the two mountain lakes.  Had it been less of a hike we might have hiked down to the lakes but having already gone 6 miles and having 6 miles to get out, we decided not to on this visit.

Kenzie and I went on another hike the following weekend.  5 miles total.  It was MUCH easier and the boys went on a mountain bike ride.  Here are a few pictures from the boys' ride.

Also the boys got to go on some motorcyle rides together in the moutains.

Blue sometimes tries to sneak in the truck too but hasn't realized that hiding in shotgun isn't very sneaky.

I made the kids pose for cheesy pictures every now and then because it was Kenzie's last week home.  The following was my favorite because Ben just finished putting a flex on, Kenzie is trying to look like she doesn't care and Riley is just smiling away in the corner.  Such cute kids!

 

I am almost done with this.  I love it.

We took the kids waterskiing on Wednesday.  It looks like it is cloudy on this day but it wasn't.  It was smoke from some fires to the north of us.

We got all three older boys on the barefoot boom skiing together.  Check it out.

We attempted to take family pictures.

A picture of Brad taking a picture of the kids.

We had a few that turned out cute but Brad says the ISO is too low to blow them up big.

Of course the last one is my favorite and Riley is sticking out his tongue.  That's family pictures for you, right?  I may try to blow them up anyway.

Best news of the day...Kenzie got a four year full tuition scholarship for college!  How cool is that?

How cute that it made her cry!  We were surprised because didn't think we would find out this late in the game.  I mean school starts tomorrow.  Congrats to Kenzie!

Jordan, 20

Who is your favorite band or solo artist?  Led Zeppelin.  I really like the song Nobody's fault but mine.

What do you see yourself doing five years from now?  I'll be in medical school.  I'll be taking care of my family. 

What do you do when you feel bored?  I like to read and work out.  

Who is your hero and Why?  My parents because they raised me and are amazing examples.

Do you have a favorite movie?  The Gentleman.

What music makes you particularly happy?  Classic rock and newer alternative like Hallucinagenics (I pointed out that this was a song about drugs, it's my duty as a mom). 

How do you handle stress?  I like to lift or exercise or do something outside.

Do you like to read?  Yes.  My favorite book is 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson.

What qualities do you admire in other people?  Leadership, strength, ability to make decisions, ability to recognize when they are wrong, and the ability to unify and bring others together. 

How would you describe your own personality?  I believe I have natural skills at being a leader like being decisive and trying to unify people.  I believe I don't force myself on others and I'm usually always happy.

What was your worst moment this year?  When I cracked my head open on my mission and had to go to the hospital.  

What was your best moment/moments this year?  Getting to see my family when I came back.

What are you the most proud of that you accomplished last year?  Learning to rock climb and having gotten a raise to $18/hour at landscaping.

What are some of your goals for this next year?  I want to get straight As in my classes and continue to get better at time management.  I want to continue to be fit and eat healthy.  I want to surround myself with good friends and smart people.  I want to prepare for dental school and I want to date girls and try to find a wife.  (Is that a goal for this year I asked, he said no just before he leaves college).

Would you want to be famous?  No.

Do you consider yourself a leader?  Yes.  

What is your favorite family recipe?  Cinnamon rolls.

  

What are your favorite family traditions?  Making nut braid every year and opening presents and stealing someone's candy when they trick or treat, duh!

What career or job do you want to have one day?  I want to be a dentist or a surgeon. 

What is your favorite thing to do outdoors?  Dirtbiking. 

What makes you laugh?  My family.  (I asked him if it was all his family or just his dad)  Just my dad.  The funniest thing that Dad does is how he over exaggerates when he tells stories.  His stories are really funny.    

What makes you angry?  My siblings. Sometimes they spit in my face (Riley) and hit me. 

What makes you most afraid?  Having a family member die.

What do you enjoy doing for fun?  Cutting my hair because I'm really good at it.  (He laughs because he just cut his hair today and he's really proud that he did a good job).    No, climbing, dirtbiking, spending time with my family and with good friends.  

What is your favorite color?  Green because it is really pretty in the spring.  And that rhymed and I can rhyme anytime, on a dime, with a lime and I'm a poet and I didn't know it but my feet show it.  You should write that down.

What do you dream about?  I dreamed a couple of nights ago that someone died I think.  (I told him that he didn't have to talk about a dream per se but more like a wish he wanted to see come true.)  I dream about becoming successful and spending time with my family. 

What would your perfect day look like?  Getting up at 8, getting a lift in, being able to go to the lake with my family, coming home, having burgers, being able to sit by the camp fire, maybe having a nice girl over.  (I asked him on his perfect day if it was always summer)  Yes, it is always summer.  I mean winter is good too but it is too cold sometimes.  

Kenzie, 18.

Who is your favorite band or solo artist?  Umm, I don't really know.  The only name that comes to the top of my mind because a lot of his songs are on my playlist is Van Morrison. My favorite song of Van Morrison is Stranded.  

What do you see yourself doing five years from now?  I'll be 23 and entering medical school.

What do you do when you feel bored?  Bake bread, go see Blue, or paint.

Who is your hero and Why?  No hero.  I mean I love and look up to you guys but I wouldn't call you my heros.  

 
Do you have a favorite movie?  I have a lot of favorite movies.  Lord of the Rings, all of it, it counts as one movie.  Star Wars, that is going to count as one movie, all except Solo which means 10.  Lonesome Dove, Life is Beautiful, Fight Club, a Man from Uncle, and Little Women 2019 version.

What music makes you particularly happy?  Well, like any typical teenager that is looking to be unique, I have sorted all of my playlists into emotions and I have a yellow heart playlist that is full of love songs from the 60s that I really like.  Songs like Sugar by the Archies.

How do you handle stress?  Denial.  

  
Do you like to read?  I do like to read.  My favorite book is still the Lonesome Dove.  Also I reread the Lord of the Rings.  I really like that one.  There were these books that I read as a kid, "Song of the Lioness" series and they are, like, for 12 years olds but I really like them.

What qualities do you admire in other people?  Kindness, acceptance, hard working, successful, intelligent, educated, intellectual, fair and adventurous

How would you describe your own personality?  Good vibes.  (I pointed out to her that is what she said for the last three years in a row and pushed here a little more) I am a person with a charming sort of self-deprecating wit and a dry sense of humor.  I'm not friendly.  I'm an introvert.  I...am not sassy, I hate the word sassy and I'm not sarcastic, I'm witty.  I'm also super not charming sometimes and people can hate me.  I'm a free thinker.  I'm mysterious.  

What was your worst moment this year?  Have I had a worst moment this year?  (I told her she definitely had one because a whole year has passed and also pressed her on this more)  I don't know, I always block out any arguments with family.  I always cover them up so those aren't really real. (I got her to admit that arguing with family was the worst moment, she wouldn't tell me which argument).  We got into some big fights this year.  Also I really struggled at the start of quarantine, just handling it.   

What was your best moment/moments this year?  Um, I got 100 class absences in one semester and I still got straight A's.  That was pretty sick. (I pressed her again and I asked her if play Ursula in the Little Mermaid was her best moment) I liked playing Ursula but I wouldn't call it my best moment.  My best moment was on the boat, the sun was shining and the motor was running and I'm the happiest I've ever been.

 
What are you the most proud of that you accomplished last year?  I've been happy this year and I'm proud of that.  Personal introspection is what caused me to change and grow and has let me be a happier person this year.  

What are some of your goals for this next year?  (Um, she said an inappropriate comment here that I had to ask her brother what it even was and I'm not writing it down but just knows she likes to push my buttons and it had something to do with boys) I want to do well in school.  I want to get along with you guys when I come back for the summer.  I want to be comfortable in Utah.

Would you want to be famous?  Same answer as always, ya I would want to be famous.  Being famous provides you with the ability to become inhuman in a way.  I think that would be an interesting experience.

 
Do you consider yourself a leader?   Yes, because most people can't think deeply enough to make decisions for themselves.  It's not that I make decisions for others it's that I can see the world around me and judge it in a way that allows me to lead other people. 

What is your favorite family recipe?  Bread.  Also still coffee cake.  

What are your favorite family traditions?  Ski boating in the summer and family nights out by the fire.

What career or job do you want to have one day?  I'm going be a doctor.  I don't know what kind of doctor.  That's realistically.  If we are speaking unrealistically I want to be a river guide in the summers and a photographer for national geographic who travels the world in the winters.  But that's not what I'm going to do.  That's a child's dream.  My adult dream is to become a super rich doctor, buy myself a mountain and a house boat and a cabin.

What is your favorite thing to do outdoors?  I like to lay on the grass.  I like to be in the ski boat.  I like to be in my duckie.  

What makes you laugh?  Myself.  I'm the funniest person I know.  Also, my family.

What makes you angry?  My family.  Also the idea that I have to leave.  It doesn't really make me angry.  Never mind.

 
What makes you most afraid?  Not leaving.  No, that's not true.  I am afraid of fish and falling.  I hate fish.  I don't want them to touch me ever.  It's disgusting just the thought of it.  And I'm not afraid of heights because I can stand on top of tall stuff but I'm afraid of falling from heights.

What do you enjoy doing for fun?  Being with my family. 

What is your favorite color?  A dark rich emerald green.  But I also like red, I like yellow, I like blue.  I'm a complicated woman.

What do you dream about?  I have really weird and vivid dreams.  I have a dream.  I am rich.  I'm old.  I buy a whole mountain, just one mountain and I put a two bedroom cabin at the very tip top of the mountain.  (I asked her if she was married, she said yes, if she had children, no but she does have a dog, just one.)  I also own a house boat on Lake Navajo.

What would your perfect day look like?  Just to keep it different from last year (so I guess that means her perfect day would be the same as last year and I think that had something to do with water skiing), I get up to watch the sunrise with my friends at Lion's Den, we go hike Cascade Canyon as a family, we come back and we all run the river and then we come back and have an outside family barbecue.

Any final words?  It's been a good year. 

Why so serious?

I'll get to that quote later.  

First of all, what is it with purse dogs?  This was at a restaurant Brad and I ate at this week.  The waiter petted the dog with gloves on, you know coronavirus gloves.  I hoped that the waiter changed his gloves after petting the dog, but wonder....

Maybe one day I'll understand why people love purse dogs so much.  Maybe I'll get one of my own.  You never know.

Other events from this week:

Ben found out why he got a one on the AP biology test.  Did I tell you that?  Ben got a 5 on the AP calculus test (remember he had to take it twice due to technical difficulties) and a 1 on the AP bio test which we found very strange.  Anyway, his teacher was able to find out why he received such a low score and we found out that his submissions were blank...this year and AP tests, what a mess!!!!  Ben can retake the test next year, but I don't feel like it is worth it.  I even feel like we should be refunded.  Ugh, coronavirus!!!!!!!

Our new queen is producing eggs.  That is a good thing.  Maybe I didn't tell you that our old queen died but it did.

Brad and I had several days off just to chill.  That was wonderful.  However, one of the days off that Brad had was spent taking out Mckenzie's wisdom teeth.

Yes, his assistant passed out during the procedure. (I know you were wondering)

Yes, they (Kenzie and Brad) thought it would be funny to paint her face with blood during the procedure.

Yes, he actually quoted the joker, "why so serious?" when taking these picture below.  And yes, McKenzie laughed too.  Yes they both have the same sense of humor.  Hence the title of this post.

End of story though, she survived.

Brad said she would hurt because she had some hard bone...and she did hurt.

I had to remind her, on day two, that everyone's cheeks look like chipmunk cheeks for a while.

I think her chipmunk cheeks are cute.  She thinks she looks like she has fat prosthetics like they use in acting attached to her face.   Anyway, while she still hurts a little today, she is on the road to recovery.  By the time she leaves for college, she'll be right back to normal.  BTW shout out to my mom who made her the shirt she's wearing here.

Just FYI, the world is still crazy (it's been 5 whole months of crazy.  I'm so done!!!).  We don't know what school will look like this fall but we are trying to be more positive.  Yesterday Ben took this picture from our driveway of a double rainbow.  It reminded me that things are going to be okay after all, and they will.